01/10/18: ESPN rolls with Megacast

Good morning. It’s Wednesday January 10, 2018 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

Alabama’s dramatic win over Georgia drove ESPN’s presentation of the College Football Playoff National Championship to an average of 28,443,000 viewers on its Nielsen-rated networks (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU as part of its MegaCast production). That is up 13% over last season’s championship game on the same three Nielsen-rated networks with the ESPN-only telecast averaging 27,383,000 million viewers. The game now ranks as the second biggest for any cable presentation in history.

“The record-breaking audiences, over the course of multiple years, clearly reinforce how the College Football Playoff has quickly established itself as an elite event on the sports calendar,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN executive vice president, programming and scheduling. “Last night’s thrilling finish coupled with ESPN’s innovative MegaCast presentation showcased the incredible strength of college football and the deep connection live sports have with fans.”

ON THE AIR

ESPN is serving up the Australian Open with coverage on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3 starting Sunday. Daily marathon telecasts will deliver more than 100 hours of television plus 1,400 streaming that will culminate with the Women’s and Men’s Championships on Jan. 27 and 28 at 3:30a. ESPN2 will present daily, marathon, prime-time and overnight telecasts from Melbourne – generally at 9p – through the women’s semifinals. Talent is set to include Darren Cahill, Cliff Drysdale, Chrissie Evert, Chris Fowler, Brad Gilbert, Jason Goodall, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, John McEnroe, and Patrick McEnroe, among others.

Around the dial, Tennis Channel expands to 13 days of live matches for the Australian Open, with -for the first time – a live telecast on the second Friday of the tournament when it broadcasts the boy’s and girl’s junior singles championships. Overall, the network will feature more than 30 live hours of coverage starting Sunday at 6p with Tennis Channel Live at the Australian Open. The network will have encore matches, a live lead-in show and studio analysis. The lead0in show will see Brett Haber return as host alongside analysts and Hall of Famers Martina Navratilova and Jim Courier, as well as Jon Wertheim. Mary Carillo will once again present special features in her Mary in Melbourne segments.

The NBA G League has a new partner, announcing a deal with Eleven Sports to serve as the exclusive presenter of up to 120 LIVE NBA G League regular season games during the 2017-18 season. The live NBA G League games will be shown in five of the company’s markets – the US, Belgium, Luxembourg, Singapore and Taiwan. As part of ELEVEN’s strategy to deliver engaging localised content, games will be shown with local language commentary in each market. The coverage will begin on Jan. 10 with the NBA G League Showcase.

Bellator locked in an agreement with John McCarthy to serve as color commentator during telecasts on the soon-to-launch Paramount Network, which kicks off with Bellator 192 on Jan. 20. “With the addition of ‘Big’ John to our broadcast team, we have put together the premier group of MMA commentators ahead of our Jan. 20 debut on the Paramount Network,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “With John and Chael providing analysis, you’re getting two people who have spent more time in the cage than they have spent with a headset on, and that will translate to a positive viewing experience for Bellator fans.”

It is time! Don’t miss out on the Cynopsis Sports Awards, once again honoring the best in the business in production, marketing, digital and more. Don’t miss out on our new categories for 2018, including: Awareness Campaign for a Social Good Initiative; Event of the Year for a Breakthrough Sport; League of the Year for a Breakthrough Sport; Live Coverage of a Breakthrough Sport; Reality Series; Shining Stars (individual); Shining Stars (team/company); and Social Good TV Special or Episode. Get your work in NOW by clicking here.

CBC unveiled its lineup for PyeongChang 2018, announcing the additions of Cassie Campbell-Pascall; four-time world and national figure skating champion Kurt Browning; Olympic Games freestyle moguls champion and two-time medallist Jennifer Heil; 2010 skeleton gold medalist Jon Montgomery; Olympian and World Champion Perdita Felicien; and gold medal-winning alpine skier Kerrin Lee-Gartner to its roster.

USA Network is a “go” for new docuseries Miz and Mrs., chronicling the lives of WWE Superstars/married couple The Miz and Maryse. The six-episode, half-hour series will feature the pair as they become parents for the first time.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

It’s Deadline Day!

The 4^th Annual Cynopsis Social Good Awards

Cynopsis Social Good Awards honors those civic-minded professionals who find a way to utilize the media industry as a tool for social good. We’re honoring everything from sustainability partnerships and PSA’s, to diversity campaigns, environmental initiatives, and more (check out our full list of categories here). You’ve already done the hard work to improve our community – the submission process is the easy part!

ENTER BY 11:59 PM

SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

Formula E unveiled a multi-year partnership with Swiss industrial technology giant ABB that will see the annual motorsport series renamed the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. “Today, two pioneers are uniting. ABB and Formula E are a natural fit at the forefront of the latest electrification and digital technologies,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “Together, we will write the next phase of this exciting sports activity and foster high-performance teams.”

Nike and the USOC unveiled the medal-stand uniforms US Olympic and Paralympic athletes will sport at the 2018 Games. “Nike has once again designed unparalleled medal-stand uniforms for the 2018 US Olympic and Paralympic teams,” said Lisa Baird, USOC chief marketing officer. “The American spirit and style are seamlessly united to complement the fortitude of America’s finest athletes.”

The PGA TOUR and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority locked in a four-year extension of their official marketing partnership that will continue to promote the state’s golf and tourism industry through 2022. “January has become synonymous with amazing golf in Hawai‘i, with two PGA TOUR events and one PGA TOUR Champions event,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Corporate Partnerships. “Our members have long enjoyed spending time in the Hawaiian Islands at the beginning of the year. We are pleased to extend our relationship with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and to continue highlighting Hawai‘i as a golf paradise through our tournaments on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.”

DIGITAL & STREAMING

FOX Sports kicked in new deals with Snapchat and Twitter for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The new platforms will see FOX Sports produce a 30-minute live show with host Rachel Bonnetta, streamed exclusively on Twitter from Moscow’s Red Square each match day, offering previews, recaps and Twitter reaction as well as original segments produced by FOX’s team in Moscow. FOX will also provide near-live video highlights to Twitter for each game. On Snapchat, FOX Sports will produce a Publisher Story that chronicles the day-by-day drama of the month-long tournament as well as a FIFA World Cup “Our Stories,” featuring video highlights of goals and other key moments from the tournament. “We are excited to collaborate with FOX Sports to bring an exclusive daily live show, expert analysis and video highlights from the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Twitter alongside the best curated real-time conversation,” says Anthony Noto, COO at Twitter. “Passionate soccer fans will need to look no further than FOX and Twitter to find everything that’s happening at this summer’s tournament.”

NBC Olympics announced plans to serve up more than 50 hours of live virtual reality coverage powered by Intel True VR during the XXIII Olympic Winter Games from PyeongChan. The deal marks the first time ever that VR will be available for a Winter Olympics and that Olympic VR programming will be live in the US on a wide range of devices and platforms. Content will include the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, alpine skiing, curling, snowboarding, skeleton, figure skating, short track, ski jumping, ice hockey, big air and more. In addition, NBC Olympics will offer VR replays of all events previously livestreamed; one daily 360-degree video of a sport not available in VR the previous day; and packaged highlights from the day before.

Speaking of VR, NextVR and WWE today announced a new partnership to bring fans unique WWE experiences in virtual reality, featuring highlights from select 2018 WWE special events. The experiences will be approximately 10 minutes in length and available for free to fans globally on a new WWE channel within the NextVR app following each event. For each production, NextVR will work alongside WWE’s award-winning TV and production team to position NextVR’s custom virtual reality cameras throughout each event to capture the most immersive views of WWE action.

Facebook Watch is set to serve up Tom vs Time, a six episode docu-series that offers “unprecedented access” to Brady off the field, following the 40-year-old quarterback as he tackles his 18th season in the NFL.

Secret Golf inked Lee McCoy to an agreement that will include his own Player Channel on secretgolf.com and exposure to the vast market of junior golfers. McCoy now joins World Golf Hall of Fame member Jackie Burke, two-time LPGA Tour Player of the Year Stacy Lewis, and PGA Champion Jason Dufner on the team, among others.

ESPORTS

With a launch today, Overwatch League locked in a multi-year deal with Twitch to carry every match to fans across the globe. Estimated to rank as the biggest exclusive media deal in history, valued around $90 million, the deal kicks in live on Twitch today at Twitch.tv/overwatchleague. The Overwatch League and Twitch also are developing innovative rewards for fans. “Our fans love to engage with content on Twitch, and we wanted to drive significant viewership of the Overwatch League in its inaugural season and beyond,” said Armin Zerza, COO of Blizzard Entertainment. “That’s why this historic and ground-breaking partnership is perfectly suited for Activision Blizzard, for Twitch, and—most importantly—for our growing global fanbase.”

Speaking of Overwatch League, networking hardware company Netgear signed on to sponsor OWL team Seoul Dynasty. The team will wear the Nighthawk Pro Gaming logo on their jerseys—Nighthawk Pro Gaming is Netgear’s new line of esports-specific network devices, among other activations.

ELEAGUE lined up initial matches and casters for its second CS:GO Major Championship, The ELEAGUE Major: Boston. The $1 million showdown will begin with The New Challengers stage on Friday at 10a with live Twitch coverage, featuring 16 teams split into four pools. ELEAGUE host Richard Lewis will be joined by a rotation of seasoned commentators including Anders Blume; former professional players Jason ‘Moses’ O’Toole, Janko “YNk” Paunovic, Daniel ‘DDK’ Kapadia and Henry ‘HenryG’ Greer; Sue ‘Smix’ Lee, James Bardolph and Matthew ‘Sadokist’ Trivett.

ROSTER MOVES

NBC Sports Chicago named veteran sports media advertising sales executive Tony Romano as its new Local Sales Manager. Romano will be responsible for all of NBC Sports Chicago’s local sales efforts, including season-long sponsorship packages for the network’s four professional sports teams, along with focusing on strategic planning/development of key local sales initiatives across all platforms.

THE MAIN EVENT

Xavier/Villanova on FS1 at 8p.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Registration is open for the 2018 Cynopsis TV Awards!

Wednesday, FEB. 7^th | 4:45pm – 8pm | Espace, NYC

We’re gearing up for the annual Cynopsis TV Awards, saluting excellence in national TV programming, from writing and directing to casting, hosting and more. The awards celebration will include the 2018 Buyers & Planners honorees, awarded for outstanding campaigns that have run on broadcast, cable, and digital platforms. Be sure to register your team before January 23rd as seating tends to fill up quickly!

ON THIS DAY in 1982: Dwight Clark makes “The Catch” for a touchdown from Joe Montana.

In the Know: Which current Atlantic 10 school has received the most bids to the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: Who portrayed baseball scout Ernie Capadino in the movie A League of Their Own? Answer: Jon Lovitz. Kudos: Rob Casalaina- ITN/NY; Marissa Sunio-Columbia University/NY; Chris Bartels-United Entertainment Group/NY; Scott Jenkins-Gracenote/NY; Jon Miller-NBC Sports/Stamford; Kurtis Hoffmann-Iron Sound Production/Kendall Park; Nick Gandy-Florida Sports Foundation/Tallahassee; Gary Swanson-WWNW FM, WCN 24/7/New Wilmington; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Jim Gray-Marian University/Fond du Lac; Mark Stulberger-Stully’s Broadcasting School/Houston; Judie Henninger-Valentine Productions Inc./Santa Monica; Anne Wettig-Fox Cable Networks S&P/LA; Jim Himmel-TCB Media/San Clemente; Greg Dudsic/Venice

Later – Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

CYNOPSISJOBS – For More jobs, please visit Cynopsis.com

JOB OF THE DAY

SR. ANALYST TO DIRECTOR, MARKETING INSIGHTS
Comedy Central
NYC

(Freelance) Analyze linear mktg effectiveness, provide insights/recommendations in campaign plan’g & effective ROI evaluations. Strong knwldg Nielsen data & some exp w/dig & social metrics req’d. 2+ yrs of exp pref TV ntwrk brand

Full details HERE

JOB OPENING: HEAD OF MARKETING, CMO/LA: Refine our brand & present it in an exciting, engaging array of brand integrations on our digital channels as well as live, experiential events. 7-10 yrs of web, digital mktg & eCommerce exp req’d, covering entire process from merchandising to CRM. Resume/cvr HERE (1/19)

JOB OPENING: HEAD OF BRAND PARTNERSHIPS/LA: Resp for year over year revenue growth, fully realizing all revenue growth opportunities. 7-10 yr exp with a proven track record of leading successful sales organizations. Identify/track KPIs & adjust bus.-dvlpmnt efforts accordingly Resume/cvr HERE (1/19)

JOB OPENING: COO/LA: Execute overall strategy guiding organization. Leverage your exp dvlpng processes/programs/budgets to drive rev growth. Set aggressive operational &/or perf goals for each dept. 7-10 yrs exp mngng bus. operations, in relation to content dvlpmnt & building online platforms. Resume/cvr HERE (1/19)

JOB OPENING: HEAD of ECOMM/LA: Develop & clearly identify our digital commerce strategy & execute plans to grow online sales & digital presence. 7-10 yrs web, digital mktg & eCommerce exp req’d, covering the entire process from merchandising to CRM. Resume/cvr HERE (1/19)

JOB OPENING: SALES ACCOUNT MGR/KNBC/LA: Dvlp/grow revenue for an established account list with a focus on generating revenue and growing station share. Min 10yrs TV advertising sales experience with a proven success record in the Los Angeles area. Full info/apply HERE (1/19)

JOB OPENING: PRODUCTION MGR, BROADCAST/USTA Production/White Plains NY: Manage US Open and US Open Series broadcast projects, events and deliver the highest quality product to constituents -domestic and int’l broadcast partners, sponsors, and tournament partners. 2-4 years of broadcast exp. Full info/apply HERE (1/19)

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/MUSIC CHOICE TV/NYC: Resp for development/fulfillment of integrated media plans & proposals across all Music Choice television platforms for advertising clients. 1-2 yrs media or sales plan’g/assistant at an agency or ntwrk. Solid understanding of media math. Full info HERE (1/18)

JOB OPENING: ASSOCIATE PRODUCER/NBC NEWS & MSNBC/Miami: Highly motivated Associate Producer with a passion for news on all platforms (broadcast, digital, and mobile). BA deg. 2+ yrs editorial production exp at a network, cable or digital outlet. Full info/apply HERE (1/18)

JOB OPENING: MOTION GRAPHICS DESIGNER/REELZ/ALBUQUERQUE: Design and execute on-air graphics, digital/social media and print. Must have 3-5 years of experience with AE, Photoshop, Illustrator. C4D and InDesign a plus. Strong design sense is essential. Full info/apply HERE (1/18)

JOB OPENING: SR. ANALYST TO DIRECTOR, MARKETING INSIGHTS/Comedy Central/NYC: (Freelance) Analyze linear mktg effectiveness, provide insights/recommendations in campaign plan’g & effective ROI evaluations. Strong knwldg Nielsen data & some exp w/dig & social metrics req’d. 2+ yrs of exp pref TV ntwrk brand Full details HERE (1/18)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, MEDIA PLANNING/R2C Group/Portland OR: Oversee team of experts successful interpretation of clients challenges, the creation of innovative media strategies/plans to drive business results. 12+ yrs exp w/BA deg or equivalent comb of training & exp to support this position. Full info/apply HERE (1/17)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING MANAGER/NYRA Bets/NYC: Mng mktg, advertising and promotion of the New York Racing Association’s ADW program, NYRA Bets. BA Deg & 5-7 yrs work exp. Exp dvlpng/implementing large scale promotions & mngng. Strong knwlg Google analytics & digital marketing. Full details HERE (1/17)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, DIGITAL BUSINESS OPS/Viacom/NYC: Take lead role mngg new media product deployments e.g. VOD, DAI & TVE, w/dist partners & act as departmental SME w/ interna & external stakeholders. 5+ relevant exp. Strong understanding of new media & dig products such as VOD, addressable. Full info/apply HERE (1/17)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, REVENUE REPORTING & ANALYTICS/ION Media/NYC: Support CCO in strategically mngng inventory, maximizing rev & optimizing commercial ops. Provide budgets, forecasts & long term plans for Commercial Ops.10+ yr exp in finance. Maint 5yr financial modeling for topline of business. Full info/apply HERE (1/16)

JOB OPENING: APPLICATIONS WEB DEVELOPER/ION Media/West Palm Beach FL: Provide strategic tech & architecture recommendations in dvlpng websites ION; Create new interactive tools (web-based, mobile, social media) to engage consumers & promote our on-air offerings. 5+yrs exp web application dvlpmnt. Full info/apply HERE (1/16)

JOB OPENING: ACCT EXEC, DIGITAL VIDEO SALES East/Sony Pictures/Crackle/PlayStation Vue/NY: Sell portfolio of video products from straight media to deep brand integrations. Min 5 yrs successful digital advertising exp, incl track record of results w/quarterly revenue goals. Job# JR17-11413. More HERE (1/15)

JOB OPENING: MANAGER BRAND MANAGEMENT, CLASSIC MEDIA/NBCU/Universal City CA: Support Dir-Brand Mngmnt & EVP-Creative to activate/monetize Classic Media, & non-franchise DreamWorks & NBCU catalog properties. Min 3 yrs consumer mktg exp w/demonstrated ability to proactively lead initiatives. Full info/apply HERE (1/15)

JOB OPENING: ANALYST, CONTENT ACQUISITIONS DILIGENCE/ION Media/NYC: Resp for providing quantitative diligence & analytical support in acquisition of prgrm content. 4+ yrs relevant exp; prior exp at studio, TV or digital media A +. Est’d track record of operational success & financial growth. Full info/apply HERE (1/15)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/TELEMUNDO/LA: Resp for rev generation utilizing TV, Internet, OOH, Mobile, Integrations & sports. Maintain/grow client direct acct list for existing & new brands. Min 5+ yrs Bus. Dev w/specific focus on client direct relationships pref brdcst ops or media co. Full info/apply HERE (1/15)

JOB OPENING: SALES ACCOUNT MGR/KNBC/Universal City: Resp for dvlopng creative solutions based on advertiser needs/wants. Dvlp clients packages and presentations, utilizing excellent presentation skills. Negotiate advertising schedules and rates. Full info/apply HERE (1/15)

JOB OPENING: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/NBCU/NYC: Support admin needs for President of Strategy & Commercial growth. Professionally answer phones, take minutes at meetings, coord calendars incl meetings/appts. BA req’d MBA pref’d. 1yr exp working in media. Full info/apply HERE (1/14)

JOB OPENING: STRATEGIST/Gamut Smart Media (Cox Media Group)/NYC: Buy/trade digital ads through a demand-side platform. Monitoring/optimizing mult campaign executions in timely manner. Exceptional troubleshooting & problem solving skills. Knwlg of DFP, OAS, OpenX as wella s 3^rd party ad tags. Full info/apply HERE (1/14)

JOB OPENING: MEDIA STRATEGIST/Gamut Smart Media (Cox Media Group)/NYC: Dvlp strategic plans for clients that increase brand awareness & generate ROI. Exc client presentation, negotiation skills. 2yrs supporting either a dig media buying, selling dept or other related media exp. Full info/apply HERE (1/14)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL AD OPS TRAFFICKER/Gamut Smart Media (Cox Media Group)/NYC: Mng outsource partners to ensure campaign trafficking is completed & QA their work. Coord w/publishers to ensure they have received creative & are ready to launch on time.1-5 yrs of digital ad operations trafficking exp. Full info/apply HERE (1/14)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXEC/Gamut Smart Media (Cox Media Group)/NYC: Proactively prospect, qualify/grow/maintain NY accts. Drive ad rev through direct sales. 3-5 yrs of exp at digital agency & or digital sales exp. Strong understanding NY mkt w/client relationships agency media planners/supervisors. Full info/apply HERE (1/14)

JOB OPENING: SEGMENT PRODUCER/MSNBC/NYC: Responsible for delivering in depth news stories. Exp’d seg prod to write/prod segments w/speed & accuracy for daily news prgrmng, in a breaking news envir. 5+ yrs of exp in live TV broadcast TV, etc & 3+ yrs in both tape/desktop editing. Full info/apply HERE (1/13)

JOB OPENING: MGR, PARTNERS BRAND MARKETING (New Release)/NBCU/Film Ent Group/Universal City: Owner of mktg P & L, oversee execution of mktg plans to ensure projects are executed to budget & profitability is maximized. Min 3 yrs consumer mktg exp w/a demonstrated ability leading initiatives. Full info/apply HERE (1/13)

JOB OPENING: NATIONAL SALES MANAGER/KNBC/LA: Responsible for leading the National sales effort for KNBC, including cross platform opportunities. Work with VP of Sales, Local Sales Managers and Traffic department. Full info/apply HERE (1/13)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASSISTANT/TELEMUNDO/Newton MA: Assist acct mgrs in preparation of sales material & presentation to ad agencies & provide sales admin support thru the processing of sales orders. 3 yrs sales asst; customer srvc rep at TV station or rep firm a +. Full info/apply HERE (1/13)

JOB OPENING: AD SALES ASSISTANT/Crown Media Family Networks/NY: Provide support to Ad Sales by working W/Acct Execs to srvc clients. Including sales orders, move requests and media schedules. Detail oriented w/orgnzt’l skills to keep efficient work sched. BS or 2 yrs exp. req. Full info/apply HERE (1/11)

JOB OPENING: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER, CABLE ENTERTAINMENT/NBCU/Universal City CA: Provide HR support for employees within the Cable Studios, Cable Scripted Content & Cable Business Affairs organizations. Min 5 yrs relevant HR exp incl recruiting, employee relations & organizational dvlpmnt. Full info/apply HERE (1/11)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASSISTANT/NECN/NEWTON MA: Assist Acct Exec in preparation of sales material and presentation to ad agencies & provide sales admin support thru the processing of sales orders from inception, beyond conclusion. 3 yrs of sales asst; customer srvc rep at a TV station or rep firm is a + Full info/apply HERE (1/11)

JOB OPENING:STRATEGIC PLANNING MGR US/DCMN/NYC: Dvlp individual & sustainable growth solutions for digital brands based on in-depth mktg research, consumer insight, & mkt analysis. 3 – 5 yrs exp in campaign mngmnt on an operational level w/ online and offline mktg channels. Full info/apply HERE (1/11)

JOB OPENING: MGR CULTURAL INSIGHTS/A+E Networks/NY: cultivating consumer & cultural insights via analysis of syndicated & primary research sources, understanding how sociological forces impact content choices & mktg messages. Full Info/Apply HERE (1/11)